Disclosed is an arrangement (100) for displaying video footage captured by a controllable camera (103), the arrangement comprising a memory (107) storing the captured footage, means for constructing a representation (505) of a field of view accessible by the camera (103), means for retrieving, from the memory (107), the stored footage (503) and parameters characterising the control state of the camera (103) when the footage was captured, and means for displaying the footage (503), the representation (505) of the field of view, and an indicator (502) on the representation (505) dependent upon the parameters.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for displaying one of a plurality of images stored in a storage server, the images captured by a controllable camera, the method comprising the steps of: constructing a representation of a field of view accessible by the camera; retrieving, from the storage server, the stored image and a plurality of parameters characterizing a plurality of control states of the camera when the image was captured; and displaying: (a) the retrieved image; (b) the representation; and (c) an indicator on the representation dependent upon the parameters, wherein the method displays a video clip comprising sub-clips of the stored images, wherein the displaying step comprises, for successive sub-clips of the video clip, the steps of displaying: (1) the sub-clip, and (2) an indicator on the representation dependent upon parameters associated with the sub-clip, and wherein for each successive sub-clip in the video clip, the indicator associated with the sub-clip is displayed for a time period after the sub-clip ceases to be displayed.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the representation of the field of view accessible by the camera is determined by the camera.
3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the determination of the representation of the field of view comprises the steps of: capturing a set of images covering the field of view; and combining the set of images to form the representation of the field of view.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the control states of the camera comprise, associated with the stored image, a camera identifier, a time of capture, a pan attribute, a tilt attribute, and a zoom attribute.
5. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of displaying: a video clip of the stored images; and an indicator on the representation dependent upon a plurality of parameters associated with the video clip.
6. A method according to claim 5 , for further displaying a second video clip of a second set of stored images captured by a second controllable camera, the method comprising the further steps of: constructing a second representation of a field of view accessible by the second camera; retrieving, from a memory, the second set of stored images and a plurality of parameters, associated with the second set of images, characterizing a plurality of states of the second camera when the second set of images were captured; and for the second video clip, displaying: (1) the retrieved second set of images; (2) the second representation; and (3) an indicator on the second representation dependent upon the plurality of parameters associated with the second set of stored images.
7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the representation of the field of view accessible by the camera and the representation of the field of view accessible by the second camera are combined into a composite representation upon which is displayed: (1) the video clip of images; (2) the indicator dependent upon the plurality of parameters associated with the video clip of the images; (3) the second video clip of the second set of stored images; and (4) the indicator dependent upon the plurality of parameters associated with the second video clip.
8. A method according to claim 5 , comprising further steps of: displaying, on a timeline representation, a time interval during which at least one stored image was captured; designating a time interval on the timeline representation; and searching the stored images for at least one image associated with the designated time interval.
9. A method according to claim 8 , comprising a further step of: presenting, on the representation of the field of view, the parameters characterizing the control states of the camera during the designated time interval.
10. A method according to claim 9 , comprising a further step of: designating the representation of the field of view to display the image associated with the designated time interval.
11. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: displaying, on a timeline representation, a time interval during which at least one stored image was captured; and displaying, on the timeline representation, a time interval associated with the indicator being displayed.
12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the displayed time interval representation associated with each indicator being displayed shows a display identifier.
13. A method according to claim 11 , comprising the further steps of: designating a region on the representation of the field of view; and searching the stored images for at least one image which at least partially covers the designated region.
14. A method according to claim 13 , comprising a further step of: representing, on the timeline representation, a time interval during which the image which at least partially covers the designated region was captured.
15. A method according to claim 14 , comprising a further step of: designating the timeline representation to display the image which at least partially covers the designated region.
16. An apparatus for displaying one of a plurality of images stored in a storage server, the images captured by a controllable camera, the apparatus comprising: a storage server storing the plurality of images; means for constructing a representation of a field of view accessible by the camera; means for retrieving, from the memory, the stored image and a plurality of parameters characterizing a plurality of control states of the camera when the image was captured; and means for displaying: (a) the retrieved image; (b) the representation; and (c) an indicator on the representation dependent upon the parameters, wherein the means for displaying displays a video clip comprising sub-clips of the stored images, wherein the displaying comprises, for successive sub-clips of the video clip, the steps of displaying: (1) the sub-clip, and (2) an indicator on the representation dependent upon parameters associated with the sub-clip, and wherein for each successive sub-clip in the video clip, the indicator associated with the sub-clip is displayed for a time period after the sub-clip ceases to be displayed.
17. An apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising means for displaying: a video clip of the stored images; and an indicator on the representation dependent upon a plurality of parameters associated with the video clip.
18. An apparatus for displaying one of a plurality of images stored in a storage server, the images captured by a controllable camera, the apparatus comprising: a memory for storing a program; and a processor for executing the program, said program comprising: (1) code for constructing a representation of a field of view accessible by the camera; (2) code for retrieving, from a memory, the stored image and a plurality of parameters characterizing a plurality of control states of the camera when the image was captured; and (3) code for displaying: (a) the retrieved image; (b) the representation; and (c) an indicator on the representation dependent upon the parameters, wherein the code for displaying displays a video clip comprising sub-clips of the stored images, wherein the displaying comprises, for successive sub-clips of the video clip, the steps of displaying: (1) the sub-clip, and (2) an indicator on the representation dependent upon parameters associated with the sub-clip, and wherein for each successive sub-clip in the video clip, the indicator associated with the sub-clip is displayed for a time period after the sub-clip ceases to be displayed.
19. A computer-readable storage medium having recorded thereon a computer program for directing a processor to execute a method for displaying one of a plurality of images stored by a storage server, the images captured by a controllable camera, said program comprising: code for constructing a representation of a field of view accessible by the camera; code for retrieving, from a memory, the stored image and a plurality of parameters characterizing a plurality of control states of the camera when the image was captured; and code for displaying: (a) the retrieved image; (b) the representation; and (c) an indicator on the representation dependent upon the parameters, wherein the code for displaying displays a video clip comprising sub-clips of the stored images, wherein the displaying comprises, for successive sub-clips of the video clip, the steps of displaying: (1) the sub-clip, and (2) an indicator on the representation dependent upon parameters associated with the sub-clip, and wherein for each successive sub-clip in the video clip, the indicator associated with the sub-clip is displayed for a time period after the sub-clip ceases to be displayed.
20. A computer-readable storage medium having recorded thereon a computer program for directing a computer to execute a method for displaying one of a plurality of images stored on a storage server, the images captured by a controllable camera, said program comprising: code for constructing a representation of a field of view accessible by the camera; code for retrieving, from a memory, the stored image and a plurality of parameters characterizing a plurality of control states of the camera when the image was captured; and code for displaying: (a) the retrieved image; (b) the representation; and (c) an indicator on the representation dependent upon the parameters, wherein the code for displaying displays a video clip comprising sub-clips of the stored images, wherein the displaying comprises, for successive sub-clips of the video clip, the steps of displaying: (1) the sub-clip, and (2) an indicator on the representation dependent upon parameters associated with the sub-clip, and wherein for each successive sub-clip in the video clip, the indicator associated with the sub-clip is displayed for a time period after the sub-clip ceases to be displayed.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
February 27, 2006
September 29, 2009
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